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There were no secondary cases.
Moreover, three patients were notified as, but found not to be, suffering
from enteric fever ; they are therefore not included in the above figures.
Diet. Careful enquiries were made into every case reported, except the
"foreigners," with a view to ascertaining the source of infection. Owing to
the fact that enteric fever is invariably conveyed by the mouth, and in most
cases through the agency of contaminated food or drink, special enquiries were
made as to those articles of diet—such as shell-fish fried fish, watercress, etc.—
that are most liable to contamination by the organism of this disease. It was
found that among the eight cases reported, one had been an habitual shell-fish
eater, and had partaken of this food in some form at a date that admitted of its
being reasonably entertained as a possible source of infection. Three of them
had eaten fried fish under similar circumstances, but not shell fish; one of them
was fond of raw fruit. One had eaten freely of celery and watercress as
well as fried fish. A young man was devoted to raw fruit. In three cases
there was no evidence.
Cerebro-Spinal Fever and Acute Polio-Myelitis. Cerebrospinal
fever was first made notifiable in Edmonton by an emergency order for
one month, from 22nd March, 1907, and then by four orders notification was
continued up to May 21st, 1912. On my advice, these diseases were made
permanently notifiable in Edmonton on 9th March, 1912. The Board sent us
a circular dated 16th August, 1912, conveying an order, dated August 15th,
making these diseases compulsorily notifiable in all areas.
During the year I received 13 notifications of polio-myelitis, but no
notifications of cerebro-spinal fever.
I received 15 notifications about these 13 cases, as Nos. 4 and 7 were
duplicated. I have had cards printed for use in investigations much like those
which have been so long in use for scarlet fever, diphtheria, etc. In no case
did the practitioner perform lumbar puncture or express the desire for examination
of any pathological specimens.
As regards locality, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8, are in the same neighbourhood;
Nos. 4, 6, 7 and 9 are in another focus; and Nos. 10,11, 12 and 13 are detached
cases in four different parts of the district.
There has been one death—No. 5—-two or three days after onset. There
was no post-mortem examination. The boy had fallen out of his mail-cart four
or five weeks before onset. The doctor noticed paralysis of left arm and
"paresis of right face." This child had never been healthy. This case may be
entered in the doubtful column.